The Shocking Secret Of Breezy Brisbane

[myhomeo]

Like, I'd imagine, many of you, I'd always wondered what the story was behind Breezy Brisbane's brief tenure with the Gang. He'd had a fairly impressive career in vaudeville and movies (as Kendall McComas, aka Baby John McCormick, aka Kendall Brisbane, etc.) before joining the Gang, his first short, 'Readin And Writin' was a virtual solo by him... And then he kind of recedes into the background and disappears after a handful more shorts.

At first, I'd assumed Spanky was the problem. He made his debut right after Brisbane and quickly became the Ultimate Rascals superstar. I'd figured Brisbane, his parents, and/or his agent decided he could do better than playing straight man to a toddler in a beret so they didn't re-up. Also thought maybe it was just that he didn't click with audiences as Breezy so they let him go.

Of course, I later read he committed suicide in 1981 a little before his sixty-fifth birthday, apparently depressed over being forced into retirement from the 'civilian' job he'd held ever since his career fizzled out. Quite saddened by that, of course. But it took me forever to do the math.

Consider: Kendall McComas' Breezy Brisbane days were in 1932. If he was nearly sixty-five in 1981, that would have meant he was sixteen at the time. He was a 'ringer,' one of those kids who look a lot younger than they really are.

This, of course, probably explains everything. Perhaps Roach and his people didn't realize Brisbane's real age when they signed him and when they found out they let him serve out his contract and quietly let him go. Or maybe he had a long delayed growth spurt. Granted, he reportedly never got more than about five feet tall, but considering he was playing about half his age, probably any considerable height increase would be a problem. Or maybe it was just what I thought before, either he didn't click or he was eclipsed by Spanky.

Any thoughts?

[mtw12055]

I always wondered how he got into the gang myself. Like you said, he was sixteen for a majority of his tenure with the cast. It seems obvious that Brisbane was meant to be the next Jackie Cooper for the gang. And it does seem possible that Roach thought McComas was a kid.

But if that's the case, McComas wasn't the first teenager Roach evidently mistook for a kid. There have been rumors recently that Norman Chaney was actually four years older then the age most sources give for him. It's been said that he was actually born in 1914, which would have made him fifteen when he joined the gang, and seventeen when he departed.

That's really all I can say on this, but I wish there was more information on Kendall McComas' personal life available.

[rhapsody]

Aug 16, 2010 17:09:16 GMT -5 mtw12055 said:

There have been rumors recently that Norman Chaney was actually four years older then the age most sources give for him. It's been said that he was actually born in 1914, which would have made him fifteen when he joined the gang, and seventeen when he departed.

They aren't just rumors. The 1920 Census and his 1936 death certificate confirm Chaney was born in 1914. What's not clear is whether the studio knew the truth or whether his parents altered his birth date on their own, knowing he would be replacing an "aging" Joe Cobb who was actually a couple of years younger than Chubby. In the days before Social Security cards, the studios may have been content to rely on parents to provide vital information on the kids.

McComas may have looked young or small for his age, but he still gave the impression of being older than the rest of the gang and he probably couldn't have lasted much longer. His credited career ended not long after Birthday Blues, so the onset of puberty was probably the culprit.

As an aside, I find it interesting how often producers seem to be able to cast kids who are most likely to go through late puberties. My kids used watch the Sprouse twins on that Suite show on Disney. They seemed to stay 12 years old for at least 5 or 6 years.

[littlerascal4891]

As an aside, I find it interesting how often producers seem to be able to cast kids who are most likely to go through late puberties. My kids used watch the Sprouse twins on that Suite show on Disney. They seemed to stay 12 years old for at least 5 or 6 years.

I have thought the same thing about those kids; they've been on TV for years and their voices still aren't totally deepened yet. They've got to be pushing 17 by now. Same thing with this Justin Beiber kid... he's like 16 and he sounds 10. I'm sure they probably do that to appeal to a younger audience, making the boy(s) seem more "innocent."

Anyway, it is sad what happened to Breezy. I was never a huge fan of him when he was on "Our Gang" but he was a good actor. I think Breezy just came into the gang too late... even though he looked like a kid, he was a teenager, and a 16 year old boy usually can't outshine a cute, charasmatic baby. And I agree, although he looked young for his age, he did seem more mature than the other kids.

[bigears]

Breezy and Chubby weren't the only teens in the Gang. Andy Samuel, who was in the silents, was born in 1909. He was 13 when he made his first appearance, and was with the Gang for three years. He was also small for his age. However, it seems like he wasn't keeping his true age a secret.

I guess what drives me crazy about Breezy is that once he appeared, Wheezer seemed to get pushed to the side and was given less to do. For example, I think Wheezer would have done a good job in Breezy's role as Spanky's big brother in 'Spanky'.

[myhomeo]

Well, I doubt Breezy's addition to the group was the reason for Wheezer's being phased out. If I understand correctly, it was just felt he was outgrowing his cuteness. If Breezy hadn't come along, he probably wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway.

What I can't help wondering is why he kept his identity a secret for so long after the 'Rascals' revival. Did he think noone cared any more? Or did he just not want to be bothered?

[rhapsody]

Yeah, I agree that there is no connection between Breezy and Wheezer's phasing out. Wheezer's charm was his sassy adorableness as a toddler through about age 6. His performance in Dogs is Dogs aside, he wasn't a particularly great actor, so once he moved past the little kid stage, he morphed into a more ordinary boy and this is most likely why he suddenly went from star to peripheral player.

As far as Spanky and Breezy go, one of my favorite vignettes from the entire series is baby Spanky's wild monkeys, horses and rats story from Free Eats. It's totally unscripted, and Breezy just gently encourages Spanky to go on with his tale, knowing a good thing when he heard it. A younger actor may not have handled Spanky as well as McComas did.

[bigears]

If Kendall was a ringer, do you think he was in on the deception or do you think he was being forced to lie by a parent or guardian who saw his as their meal ticket? And far as his suicide goes, what else might have happened in the 49 years between the time he left the Gang and his death? Most people would be sad or angry about being forced into retirement, but they probably wouldn't kill themselves. Do you think he felt bitter about not making it in showbiz? Or maybe he was sensitive about his height?

As far as Wheezer's demise, I guess I shouldn't blame Breezy, or Dickie, or even Spanky. It's just rough seeing a kid who was once one of the stars as a background player. The same thing happened to Stymie. Who knows? Maybe it's what Wheezer wanted. He had been playing Wheezer since he was in diapers, so maybe he just wanted a chance to be Bobby Hutchins for awhile. And he looks pretty happy in 'Mush and Milk', so who am I to complain.

[littlerascal4891]

I always liked Wheezer more than Breezy. Breezy seemed kind of bossy. And I always thought Wheezer was a good actor, (but rhapsody is right, his best performance was in Dogs is Dogs).

[myhomeo]

Aug 18, 2010 14:15:50 GMT -5 bigears said:

If Kendall was a ringer, do you think he was in on the deception or do you think he was being forced to lie by a parent or guardian who saw his as their meal ticket? And far as his suicide goes, what else might have happened in the 49 years between the time he left the Gang and his death? Most people would be sad or angry about being forced into retirement, but they probably wouldn't kill themselves. Do you think he felt bitter about not making it in showbiz? Or maybe he was sensitive about his height?

As far as Wheezer's demise, I guess I shouldn't blame Breezy, or Dickie, or even Spanky. It's just rough seeing a kid who was once one of the stars as a background player. The same thing happened to Stymie. Who knows? Maybe it's what Wheezer wanted. He had been playing Wheezer since he was in diapers, so maybe he just wanted a chance to be Bobby Hutchins for awhile. And he looks pretty happy in 'Mush and Milk', so who am I to complain.

Ironically, Wheezer was, if I understand correctly, being starved by his parents in an effort to stunt his growth, so it's probably for the best it ended when it did.

As far as Kendall goes, he does seem to have been worked as long as possible by his family or whoever, and his small size was probably considered a godsend. I might be assuming too much, of course. Still, if I understand correctly, he'd been performing since he was a toddler and probably didn't know any other life. So it was probably quite a jolt when it went away. Obviously, the mandatory retirement isn't the sole reason he killed himself.
It's possible he was bitter over his lost career or, conversely, he might have felt like he'd been exploited and robbed of a childhood. We'll probably never know.

[rhapsody]

Aug 18, 2010 16:46:08 GMT -5 littlerascal4891 said:

I always liked Wheezer more than Breezy. Breezy seemed kind of bossy. And I always thought Wheezer was a good actor, (but rhapsody is right, his best performance was in Dogs is Dogs).

Compared with Dickie Moore, there's not much of a contest as far as acting skills go. Dickie was the same age as Wheezer, a movie veteran, and you'll note that he appeared on the scene right around the time Wheezer was being sidelined. (in fact, Wheezer did not appear in Dickie's first several shorts, although he did return as a minor player up through Mush and Milk, which was the last short for both of them.)

I don't know if Dickie was necessarily hired to replace Wheezer, but the timing does fit. And I'm not sure why Wheezer disappeared for that period of time and then returned. Could have been an illness related to his father's treatment of him or a contractual issue, but his run was pretty much over either way. But it was a great run, and he certainly was not the first Roach star to exit right around the time his permanent teeth appeared.

[RJH]

While a minor character, according to IMDb Carlena Beard was 18 when she played Buckwheat 2 or 3 times in 1934. I can't verify the birth year anywhere else.

[[Argh, I meant Willie Mae Taylor]] - edited 8/23/10

[rhapsody]

Aug 18, 2010 23:41:21 GMT -5 RJH said:

While a minor character, according to IMDb Carlena Beard was 18 when she played Buckwheat 2 or 3 times in 1934. I can't verify the birth year anywhere else.

18 months maybe? She was Stymie's little sister and, at least according to IMDb, played Buckwheat a couple of times during Buckwheat's feminine stage, most notably in For Pete's Sake. Below is her SS death entry:

BEARD, CARLENA 19 Mar 1930 Feb 1972 41 (not specified) (none specified) California 564-14-1278

[myhomeo]

If I understand correctly, there were a couple of other minor examples of 'ringers,' both background kids, neither staying more than a short or two, with Roach and Company definitely in the know. The 'infant' in the oversized bonnet in 'Mama's Little Pirate' was one, while the other was in a silent era short, I believe 'It's A Bear.'

Couple other things occurred to me: Does anyone have any solid data on Kendall's Mickey McGuire days? If he played Mickey's Kid Brudder, he might have been edged out of that role by a growth spurt. The role in the handful of McGuire shorts I've seen is played by Billy Barty, who at that time specialized in preternaturally spry baby and toddler roles (He was a little person child actor), so if Kendall had the role before him...

Also wonder if the bizarre rumor floating around at the time Jackie Cooper was secretly a forty year old little person might have been the reason Breezy was phased out. After all, while Jackie wasn't, if it were revealled Jackie's 'successor' in the Gang was, it might have damaged the shorts' reputation.

[mtw12055]

Aug 19, 2010 16:56:42 GMT -5 myhomeo said:

If I understand correctly, there were a couple of other minor examples of 'ringers,' both background kids, neither staying more than a short or two, with Roach and Company definitely in the know. The 'infant' in the oversized bonnet in 'Mama's Little Pirate' was one, while the other was in a silent era short, I believe 'It's A Bear.'

Couple other things occurred to me: Does anyone have any solid data on Kendall's Mickey McGuire days? If he played Mickey's Kid Brudder, he might have been edged out of that role by a growth spurt. The role in the handful of McGuire shorts I've seen is played by Billy Barty, who at that time specialized in preternaturally spry baby and toddler roles (He was a little person child actor), so if Kendall had the role before him...

Also wonder if the bizarre rumor floating around at the time Jackie Cooper was secretly a forty year old little person might have been the reason Breezy was phased out. After all, while Jackie wasn't, if it were revealled Jackie's 'successor' in the Gang was, it might have damaged the shorts' reputation.

As far as I know, McComas was never Mickey's Kid Brudder. A few toddlers played that role in the silent films, but I've only seen one silent in which Barty played the role. Barty became a regular in the talkies as "Billy McGuire", who was a diffrent character from the 'Kid Brudder' character.

In all of the silent McGuires I've seen, McComas appears as an add-on kid to the McGuire gang, getting bits of business to do every so often. McComas also played the role of Stinkie Davis in the films earliest talkies. Sources stating that he returned for that role after his Our Gang days are, from what I could tell, false.

"Dick" in "It's A Bear" was a 19-year-old dwarf actor. I think his real name was Dick Henchen. According to Joe Cobb, Dick used to smoke cigars in between scenes. He also appears in "Craddle Robbers" and "Jubilo Jr." The kid in the baby bonnett in "Mama's Little Pirate" was a 5-year-old w, who went on to become "The World's Smallest Man" in a major circus. I'm not sure what his name was, but I want to say Paul Rodriguiez.